
Captive Paradise
A History of Hawaii
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.00 for first 30 days
Buy for $19.74
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Joe Barrett
-
By:
-
James L. Haley
In the tradition of Nathaniel Philbrick and David McCullough comes the first full-scale narrative history of Hawaii, an epic tale of empire, industry, war, and culture.
The most recent state to join the union, Hawaii is the only one to have once been a royal kingdom. After its discovery by Captain Cook in the late 18th century, Hawaii was fought over by European powers determined to take advantage of its position as the crossroads of the Pacific. The arrival of the first missionaries marked the beginning of the struggle between a native culture with its ancient gods, sexual libertinism, and rites of human sacrifice and the rigid values of the Calvinists. While Hawaii's royal rulers adopted Christianity, they also fought to preserve their ancient ways. But the success of the ruthless American sugar barons sealed their fate, and in1893 the American Marines overthrew Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii.
Captive Paradise is the story of King Kamehameha I, the Conqueror, who unified the islands through terror and bloodshed but whose dynasty succumbed to inbreeding; of Gilded Age tycoons like Claus Spreckels, who brilliantly outmaneuvered his competitors; of firebrand Lorrin Thurston, who was determined that Hawaii be ruled by whites; of President McKinley, who presided over the eventual annexation of the islands. Not since James Michener's classic novel Hawaii has there been such a vibrant and compelling portrait of an extraordinary place and its people.
©2014 James L. Haley (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















People who viewed this also viewed...
















Would you consider the audio edition of Captive Paradise to be better than the print version?
Yes, if only for the pronunciation of Hawaiian wordsWhat did you like best about this story?
The way it was detailed and composed.What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?
Good pronunciation of Hawaiian words, interesting voice.Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No, I knew of the basic history which is not necessarily a happy story, but the writer did moderate some of the worst parts by telling the context of the actions.Any additional comments?
This should enhance any visit to the islands. It is very light on events after about 1900 and has nothing since statehood.Must read prior to visiting Hawaii
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Onipa’a
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fascinating and balanced perspective.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
However, the author of this history does not gloss over Hawaii's history. He depicts the pre-colonial islanders as having as rich, lurid, and occasionally horrifying a history as many other cultures in the world. I particularly noted similarities with the Aztecs in Mexico, but certain historical European horrors also come to mind.
In my opinion, the book is reasonably well-balanced, and I can recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about the history of a beautiful island.
The reader was technically good but had an annoying (to me) way of doing accents (poorly) when reading quotations from people with different languages in english. Pronounce nouns properly by all means, but IMHO dialog in non-fiction should not be accented.
Captive Paradise A History of Hawaii
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Most histories either vilify the white man or explain how the natives got what they deserved. The author does a good job of portraying the major characters as real human beings warts and all. Still, one comes away with tremendous sympathy for the native Hawaiians.
He clearly demonstrates that the native monarchs were just as complicit in commercializing the islands as the sugar barons or sea captains. And they did it with full understanding of the consequences of their actions.
He dispels the myth of the "good old days" by pointing out that in pre-contact Hawaii 9,999 out of 10,000 natives were essentially serfs subject to human sacrifice or capital punishment at the whim of the rulers.
He makes no apologies for the annexation movement condemning it in the harshest terms. But he is also quick to quell historical "what ifs" by pointing out that the next most likely fate for the islands was to become a Japanese protectorate--a bullet dodged.
I enjoyed the performance but I dislike the current trend to perform audiobooks as opposed to reading them. A Scottish character--break out the Highland brogue, a Spaniard--rev up the RRRRRs. I wish they would offer a straight reading along with the performance version of these books.
I would recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in Hawaiian history, but it is detailed so don't expect to get through in on a plane ride to your island vacation.
A balanced perspective
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A beautiful history.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An Excellent Summary of the Hawaiian Monarchy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A Complete History
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book though narrator is an acquired taste.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
People who aren’t Hawaiian probably shouldn’t do. Well. Any of this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.